You Are
by Huffleton Puffleton
Summary: It was just some advice. He was just being nice.


You. Are. Perfect.

She told herself this, as she stared at her reflection. It was just the thing you'd expect Hufflepuff girls to do. That was what they all thought. Hufflepuff was the house for sluts. Nevermind that loyalty was a common trait among them all.

Dominique Weasley tied her hair into a ponytail. It was her crowning glory. It was what set her apart from her extensive clan of mostly-gingers. Though, to be fair, she was still a redhead. It was her sister, Victoire, who was the family's crown jewel, in terms of hair. Of all her children, only Victoire inherited Fleur's silvery blond hair. But still, only Dom had a combination of her mother's and father's hair. It was silky and flowing, a lighter red than any of the others'. Only Lily's hair came close, but it was too straight and flat, not to mention several shades redder.

Rose had also inherited a combination of her mother's and father's hair, but she had a wild mane of flame red hair, not unlike Molly's. Lucy and Roxanne both had curly reddish-orange hair, but Roxanne wore hers in a bun, while Lucy only tied her hair in a ponytail during Quidditch matches.

Dominique liked to think that it was her hair that set her apart. After all, she was just as pretty and talented. Sure, Victoire was the most beautiful, Rose was the smartest, Lucy almost always caught the snitch, Roxanne was Head Girl, Molly was the best in her year, and Lily was the most talented. Dominique had her charms.

You. Are. Beautiful. Inside and out.

Dom finished doing her hair, and started putting on her jumper and socks. This was the start of her seventh year. Molly and Victoire had graduated and left Gryffindor first. It was Lucy and Roxanne's seventh year last year. Gryffindor was Seeker-less this year, and Freddie's girlfriend was the new Head Girl. Dom had heard some Gryffindor girls say that they'd try out for Seeker just to get a closer look at James on a broom. Obviously they've never seen any of James' Quidditch outbursts. The boy was obsessed. Of course, he probably wanted to get an "early start" at impressing scouts, even though he was still in his sixth year. The boy was obsessed.

Albus was in Slytherin with Louis. Strangely enough, they were revered for it. Everyone seemed to think it was their way of "forgiving" Slytherin. Dom knew that it was messed up, a bit mean and inconsiderate to Slytherin. It wasn't their fault a lot of their predecessors were Death Eaters, and Al and Louis certainly weren't being "magnanimous" or "kind". They were sorted there fair and square. Not that it mattered; Dom knew they were still treated like they were Gryffindors.

Lily was in her third year. She was sorted into Gryffindor, naturally. She was really popular, naturally. Lily was fierce, talented, and adorable. She was just how everyone expected her to be. She outshined Hugo the very first moment they stepped into Hogwarts. However, after he proved to be fairly intelligent _and _an excellent beater, Hugo started getting more and more popular. Now, he was one of James' start players at thirteen.

You. Are. Exceptional. In every way.

Dominique had already left the common room. She was approaching the Great Hall, alone in the silent corridor. Everyone was up early, to get to Hogsmeade. Dom let her imagination wander to Jason Starling. Would he ask her to Hogsmeade? He'd been really friendly to her recently, and Dom considered that progress. He certainly wasn't using her to get a better grade or anything. He was a seventh year Ravenclaw, and clever as they come.

The door of an empty classroom opened, and out came Rose. She was looking around cautiously, as if scared to get caught. She spotted Dominique. Rose put her finger to her lips, but Dom wasn't looking at her. She was looking at who she had been with. His hair was a mess. Dom noticed their flushed faces. He grinned sheepishly. It was him. It was Jason Starling.

Oh well, Rose would probably handle his cleverness a whole lot better, anyway.

You. Are. Different.

The Shrieking Shack was surrounded by a decrepit fence. Dom passed through easily. Inside, it was dark and looked close to crumbling, but Dom sat down lightly on the floor, anyway. She knew the story. How Uncle Harry's dad and his friends had helped Teddy's dad. She tried to stop thinking then.

You are perfect.

You are beautiful.

You are exceptional.

You are different.

Of all of Dom's childhood friends: the Weasleys, Potters, Scamanders, Longbottoms, and Teddy. It was only Teddy who was also sorted into Hufflepuff. It was only Teddy who understood what it meant to be different, especially when surrounded by their childhood friends.

That was the mantra he had given her. Those were the last things he told her when she was thirteen and she first confided in him. He was eighteen then. He wasn't in Hufflepuff anymore. He was in love with Victoire.

You are perfect.

You are beautiful.

You are exceptional.

You are different.


End file.
